Niwot remembers Eli Buzas

Sue Prahl couldn't hold back her emotions while talking about her dear friend Eli Buzas.

"I just remember his huge heart," Prahl said.

The two met in the 1990s when their daughters both played varsity soccer for Niwot High, and then bonded while working together for the school's education foundation. After their girls graduated, Prahl and Eli's wife Chris were officemates while on staff at the high school, and the two families remained close. By then Eli Buzas, a realtor by profession, was also the driving force behind the Rotary Club of Niwot, in addition to his continuing education foundation work.

"His heart and soul was in everything he did, especially when it involved the community, or our young people," Prahl continued. "We were lucky to have him and his family."

On Jan. 27, Eli Buzas, 70, succumbed to COVID-19, becoming one of Colorado's 5,454 victims of the pandemic to date. During his time in Niwot, Buzas and his family lived east of town on Rodeo Drive, before relocating to Burgundy Park. After Chris retired, the couple moved to Arvada, but they retained their close ties to the community.

In addition to Chris, his wife of 47 years, Buzas leaves behind children Matthew, Melinda, Joe, and four grandchildren.

For longtime friends and associates in Niwot, Buzas also leaves behind a remarkable record of service, leadership, and love of community that will be treasured for years to come.

"He's left his fingerprints all over, just improving the places where he lives," former Niwot High principal and fellow Rotarian Dennis Daly said. "Whether it's for the church, or whether it's for the school, whether it's for the Rotary Club, that's just sort of his deal."

Like Prahl, Daly first met Buzas in the 1990s, when he joined Niwot High's administration as athletic director. They initially became acquainted through sports and the Niwot Boosters, but later, when Daly became principal, they worked closely on fundraising for the education foundation, an organization Buzas brought to Niwot in 1994. Though supportive of Cougar athletics, Buzas thought the school should also have an organization dedicated to promoting academics, so he gathered some like-minded parents, and the NHSEF was born.

"He's not afraid to start a club, or a committee, or a project," Daly said. "That's just really one of the amazing things about him. And it certainly draws people to him, because he's got an expertise in so many areas."

From humble beginnings, the foundation has gone on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for student scholarships, teacher grants, club and activity support, as well as major projects such as the digital marquee, technology improvements, and the auditorium renovation. None of which would have been possible without Buzas, according to Niwot developer Cotton Burden.

"Eli was the original inspiration and energy behind the NHS Education Foundation," Burden recalled. "I was one of the founding board members, but without Eli, it would not have happened."

In fact, Burden and his wife, Joy, were so impressed with Buzas' efforts, they created the Eli Buzas Excellence in Education Award, given annually to a department at Niwot High chosen for teaching excellence. In addition to the honor, the award comes with a monetary gift, allowing teachers to provide additional materials for their students.

"That award will continue to impact generations of students and give them greater opportunities in their life," said current Niwot principal Eric Rauschkolb, another Rotarian. "That was what Eli was all about-service to others and serving the community. As part of that, he was very invested in making sure that kids had additional opportunities, because he realized the importance of education and helping someone to create a bright future for themselves. He showed his priorities through his actions. It wasn't just about words with Eli."

That soft-spot for students and education carried over into Buzas' work for the Rotary Club of Niwot, another organization he brought to town. Like the NHSEF, the Niwot Rotary started small, but with Buzas at the helm, quickly outgrew its cramped meeting space. Today, the RCN boasts more than 50 members, and is responsible for a number of initiatives and projects in the area, including disaster relief, food pantries, and local clean-ups. But it's their work in the local schools that has the most visibility, and, again, that's all thanks to Buzas.

"A fairly large percentage of the money that we raise in the Rotary Club, again folds back into the schools," Daly said. "He's very interested in Student of the Month, he's very interested in RYLA [Rotary Youth Leadership Award], which is an opportunity for young people to develop some youth leadership. He supports scholarships. He was instrumental in working with the Rotary student exchange, and Read Across America, all of those things. Anything that had to do with the local schools, and with kids and students and classes, he gravitated towards and always made a huge impact."

While Niwot will miss Buzas' selfless service, and dedication, his many friends will also miss the warmth, humor, and generosity that came along with it. Both Prahl and Daly have fond memories of the foundation's early 'coat and tie' fundraisers, and the fun-loving man who made them so special.

"We had a great time together," Prahl said. "For being a man who was so politically correct, he was so human."

But most of all, they will miss his friendship, camaraderie, and larger-than-life spirit.

"He's just always been a confidante and advisor," Daly said. "The other day, I was thinking I was going to do a project here at home, and that's the kind of thing I'd call Eli and get his advice on. He knew a lot about homes and how to repair this or do that. It really didn't matter what it was. And I'd talk to him whenever I had projects here at home, whatever that was. That's the thing I think I'm gonna miss the most."